There is always a balance of order and chaos in a work environment. Some of us have worked in places that seem extraordinarily ordered and organized. And other times we’ve probably worked in places that skewed more toward the chaos side of things.
Both are good things. Order eases tension. It makes us comfortable. We feel like we can anticipate the future. We feel the consistency of our work. Chaos can also bring great things. Chaos can boost change. It can bring to light issues and also new possibilities.
Sometimes the world around us brings the chaos. And it’s often the job of the leader in the situation to bring things back to a more balanced state. Something with more order to offset the chaos.
Here are a few thoughts on how to accomplish that.
1. Show That You Care No Matter What Happens
Your team sees the chaos around them. They’re not entirely sure what will happen next. And that includes their work. They may start feeling unsure of themselves and worrying about mistakes. It’s your job to make sure they know that you care. Even if they make mistakes.
It’s like a parent with a child. They encourage. They acknowledge mistakes. They say that mistakes will happen. To try avoid making the same mistake, but to keep trying to improve.
Knowing that someone cares no matter what really helps keep people at ease and also seems to bring out good work.
2. Go To The Extreme To Order Your Role
Take on the role of leading by example. Your team is seeing chaos all around. Throughout the world. It can bring a lot of anxiety. They are watching everything closely including what you’re doing. So take on the task of ordering your own life. Be rigid in your schedule. Be rigid with your attire. Be rigid with your conversations.
This order can help bring a reliability to the situation.
3. Tighten The Schedule
Schedule is something people typically want when things seem to be in chaos mode. Look into the operations and schedules at your company. See where you can tighten things. Try to hole people more accountable to a schedule. It can be flexible for each person. For example, some may work better earlier and some later. If you’re able, offer that flexibility. But try to maintain the same schedule each day.
Schedules bring reliability. And that affects all at your place of work. They feel more order when they can expect the same from their day and the same from others they encounter. It helps to bring peace of mind in a chaotic world.
4. Tighten The Rules
We don’t always like rules. But in many situations we crave them. Games, for example. We wouldn’t like playing games if they didn’t have rules. Rules bring order to a game situation. It seemingly levels the playing field and focuses on certain abilities. And that brings comfort to those that are engaging.
Rules are important in the workplace too. Especially in a chaotic situation. You don’t necessarily need more rules when things get chaotic. Focus on the most important rules and focus more on enforcing them. The more you let things slip the more chaotic a situation becomes.
5. Accountability
And that brings us to a final item for creating more order: accountability. Simplify the focus for each person on the team. Then hold them accountable. Work with them and help them to achieve what they can. Help them do their job. Hold each person accountable.
When we see others doing their job and doing it well it brings order and comfort to our lives. It doesn’t mean 100% perfection, but it does mean improvement and bringing the appropriate level of getting things done to the workplace.
Conclusion
Chaos and order swing back and forth throughout life. It seems to be a natural course. Maybe we humans cause it. Things get chaotic and we start looking for more order. Then we get frustrated with all the order and we bring about chaos. Who knows. But in work it’s good to recognize when things are getting too chaotic. When our teams are getting burned out. Be the one to help usher in more order. At least to the point that you can control it.